ANN ARBOR, MI/02/10/04Borders Group, Inc. recorded an 8.9 percent sales increase to $827 million in the fourth quarter of 2003. For the entire 2003 year, the bookseller also saw a 6.5 percent increase to $2.5 billion over the previous year. The company’s Waldenbooks chain had a 3.7 percent decline for the year. But, international sales in 2003 jumped by 30 percent over 2002 for a current total of $408 million in sales.

The company anticipates an increase of about 7 percent in sales for 2004.

Borders Group, Inc. is a publicly held Fortune 500 company with sales of approximately $3.4 billion. Borders Group operates more than 445 Borders superstores in the U.S.; 37 Borders stores outside the U.S., located primarily in the U.K. and the Pacific Rim; 36 Books etc. stores throughout Great Britain; and approximately 750 Waldenbooks stores in malls across America. Teamed with Amazon.com, the company also offers online shopping through www.borders.com and www.waldenbooks.com.